Global Expansion

WASHINGTON — U.S. manufacturing contracted last month for the first time since February, as new orders and output plummeted and factories cut jobs.

The Institute for Supply Management said Thursday that its manufacturing index dropped to 49.4 in August from 52.6 in July. Any reading below 50 signals contraction.

The report suggests that manufacturers continue to struggle as businesses spend less on machinery, computers and other large equipment. Auto sales have also leveled off this year after reaching a record level in 2015.

Still, the magnitude of the decline surprised many economists, since other recent measures of factory output, including surveys of...

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